Cove strip



Se t. 8, 1953 v R. CORSON 2,651,086

' COVE STRIP Filed Dec. 24, 1949 l/II/I/IIIIIIIIIlIl/IIIIIIIIIJ [Ill/IllINVENTOR.

Arraewaya Patented Sept. 8, 1953 COVE STRIP Ralph Corson, Arlington, N.J assignor to Congoleum-Nairn Inc., a corporation of New YorkApplication December 24, 1949, Serial No. 134,947

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved cove strip adapted for use inconnection with the installation of flexible smooth surface coverings asa support therefor at the juncture between angularly disposed surfacesof structural members to which the covering is applied.

When installing a flexible smooth surface covering such as a linoleumfloor covering or the like, it is the practice in many cases to employ acurved molding or cove strip under the floor covering where the floorand the base of the walls meet in order that the floor covering can belaid in a manner which will provide uniformly rounded or coved corners.Likewise a cove strip frequently has been similarly employed underneathlinoleum wall coverings, or the like at intersecting wall surfaces.Conventional cove strips for such purposes are made either of wood or ofplastic materials. Such conventional cove strips have presented a numberof difficulties such as excessive susceptibility to warping, Chippingand splittins, and to distortion in packaging, shipment andinstallation, as well'as lack of resistance to moisture and temperaturechanges. Moreover, conventional wooden-type, cove strips do not readilyconform to surface irregularities such as are commonlyencou'ntered infloors" or walls and to differences in the angle at which such surfacesare disposed. In the installation of'such conventional type cove stripsthe cutting, squaring and mitering required for proper installationdemand special skills on the part of the workmen. Especially in the caseof conventional plastic type cove strips that are made byextrusion'methods, the product is relatively fragile and subject torupture or distortion.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cove strip whereby theabove-mentioned difdculties may be successfullyovercome. It is one ofthe objects and advantages of "this invention to provide a cove stripwhich can be produced very economically and which is extremely easy toinstall without requiring the employment of special skills or specialtools during installation. It is a further object and advantage of thisinvention to provide a cove strip which is flexible and resilient andwhich at the same time is extremely tough and is capable of withstandingrough handling during packaging and shipmentand during installation. Itis a further object and advantage of this invention to provide a covestrip which is highly resistant to moisture and to temperature changes,which is not susceptible to splitting, cracking or chipping, and whichcan be readily held in place by any type of securing means such asbrads, adhesives, or the like. It is a further object of this inventionto provide as an article of manufacture a cove unit comprising a covestrip of the character mentioned in integral relation with a coveringmaterial presenting a decorative surface.

According to the principal feature of this invention, the improved covestrip is made from a plurality of ribbons of difierent widths offlexible material having substantial stiifness such, for example, as afelted fiber sheet impregnated with a suitable binder. The ribbons areoriented lengthwise in a pile of V-shaped cross section which is closedby an externa1 concave surface presented by one of the ribbons. In orderto provide structural integrity, the respective ribbons as orientedlengthwise in the'pile of V-shaped cross section are secured togetheralong the longitudinal dimension of the strip. Preferably, thesecurement together of the ribbons in the pile is at or close to thecenters of each of the strips, the centers being arranged insubstantially overlying relation and the portions of the respectivestrips adjacent the margin thereof being left free and unsecuredtogether, thereby permitting the margins of the individual ribbons toconform to the surfaces against which the cove strip is to be placedwhile at the same time providing a cove strip which is strong and toughand which likewise is extremely flexible. If desired, a cove unit may beafforded by securing to the cove strip in faceto-face relation with theribbon at the wider extremity of the pile a sheet of covering materialpresenting a decorative surface.

Further purposes, advantages and features of this invention will beapparent from the following description of a typical embodiment of thisinvention and a typical installation thereofin connection with theaccompanying drawings. wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a covestrip embodying this invention as installed to provide a coved supportfor a flexible smooth surface covering at the juncture between a floorand a wall;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cove strip shown in Fig. l on a largerscale;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the cove strip shown in Figs. 1and 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cove strip shown in Fig. 3 taken alongthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 2 showing the cove strip of Fig. 2 produced asan article of manufacture with a sheet of decorative covering materialsecured to the concave surface presented by the cove strip.

be secured in place by a suitable adhesive, not I shown. At the uppermargin of the covering 53 there is shown a finishing strip M which maybe made of metal and which-may .or may not be employed depending uponthe type of. installation. It is to be noted that the cove stripprovides a concave or coved surfacewhich=supports the covering 03 sothat at the juncturebetween the floor H and the wall l2 the covering 13presentsa continuousrounded surface. Such aninstallation is typicalwhen'a cove strip is employed and is widely used'in linoleum installationpractice in order'to'avoid dirt-catching corners at the juncturebetween'the floor and the wall, and in order'to eliminate any cracks ordiscontinuities at the juncture between the floor and the wall.

The improved-cove strip of this invention is shown ingreateridetailinFigs. 2.3 and 4. In the particular embodiment shown thecove strip consists of seven 'ribbons'of flexible sheet material,theseribbons being indicated by the ref erence characters |5,'l6, H, l8,is, it and 21. The respective ribbonsas shown are oriented lengthwisewith theircenters substantially overlying and with the different widthsarranged so that the assemblylhas a V-shaped cross section closed by theconcave exterior'surface of the ribbon IS. The ribbons. aresecured:together approximately at. the centers thereof by the stitches 22 whichare disposed along thelongitudinal extent of the cove stripand whichpreferably are in the form-of wirestitcheslusing'a .flat wire for thepurpose. However, the stitching may be carried out using a fibrous cord.for the 'purposeor the. ribbons maybe secured together by means ofstaples or by use of .an adhesive.

.InFigJdan article of manufacture is shown .whereinthecovestrip i'0,..asshownin'Figs. l to 4 and describedhereinabove, has preformed there.wi'tha, sheet 23.0f coveringmaterial.presenting a decorativeexposedsurface. Thesheet .23 may, for example, be a sheet .o'flinoleumcovering materialwhich. ispermanently secured face-to-face with.theeconcave surface of the ribbon as bynse ofanadhe'sive, although anyother secur- .ing. means may be .employed. In a linoleum installationitirequentlyis desirable to .provide at the intersection of the floorand a walla strip .otmaterial havingrthe-general appearance of a baseboard. The ,cove .unit such as that .shown in.Fig..5 is suitablefor-.thepurpose and is highly desirablein that it.provides a coved lowerportion and anupper portion whichextends a. short distance up the wall.Thecovering material comprised inthe. cove unit-may ifdesired, .-be of acolor contrasting with the .colorof the floor and wall coverings.Thecove: unit shown in: Fig. '5- can berreadi'lyv produced at the plantand :can be-readily and .accuratelyzinstailed, in a single operation,this obviating-the necessity for first installing acovel stripandthereafter cutting .a strip of desired width andv accurately. putting.it in place, i. e., operations requiring muchmore time and requiring theemployment of more high- 1y skilled workmen. The article shown in i 'ig.5, can be varied in obvious ways. For example, the sheet 23 of coveringmaterial, instead of having greater extent on one side of the cove stripbacking than on the other side, may extend approximately equally on eachside of the cove strip backing, and such construction would normallybe.employed-.when the cove unit is to be installed along the -angle'between intersecting walls.

The cove strip of this invention can be produced very readily. Thus, allthat is required is to cut some suitable flexible sheet material intoribbons of different widths and to assemble them in.a,.pile wherein.theyare oriented lengthwise andarrangedso asito'be generally of successivelynarrower widths; 'Thereupon the ribbons can be securedttogethenby thestitching or other suitable securing means, and by subjecting theassembly to pressure against a mold of appropriate conformation forproviding the desired radius for P the coved surface of the support.

-Any suitable sheetmaterial can be used in making *the cove -strip ofthis invention. Be cause ofitslow-cost,-as well'as its all-roundsuitability for the purposes of this invention, a felted fiber sheetmaterial-isemployed which is impregnated with a suitable binder. Thefelt may be compcsed'of any -suitablefiber' or mixture of fibers"eitherorganic' or-mineral; e. g, fibers such as those conventionallyusedin themanufacture of flooringfeltf-building paper or the like. Thebinder thatis ordinarily employed is a bituminous bindensuch asanaspha'lt'having a softeningipoint ofthe'order 'of "150 Ffitol F., andthe 'felte'd fiber-sheet imay beimpregnated to any suitable extentwiththebinder, e. g., so that the felted fibers andthe "binder areapproximately 'in-equatproportion by weight. Other 'bindersmay'alsoice-"employed such as resins or cleo resi'nousbinders .or pitches, ,e.-g., cottonseedjpitchfof'the type-disclosed. in Patent No, 2,482,185..Vulcanizedrubbenmay also be employed. .It is usually desirable teemploya binder whichzis'of thethermoplastic'type, e.g., a suitable asphalt orother bitumen,'so that the shaping of the 'coveastrip 'toithe "desiredradius of curvature may be fatiilitatedbythe application of'hea'tdurin'g'the;pressureiformation and so that when the shapedjcovestrip hasbeenpermitted to .cooliitwill tend tmretain the desired radius ofcurvature.

.In addition I.t0 impregnated felt ,.materials. othergsheet.materialsmay he used such as .a Woven. fabric which has been impregnated with abinder such as those mentionedabovelinorder to enhance .-its toughnessandstiffness as well. as to-..enhance-.itsresistance .to moisture andother deterioratingcinlfluences. .lDther. sheet materials such..assheetslof vulcanized rubber also may be usedLto afi'ord'theribbonscomprised inthe improved cove strip.

The dimensions of the ribbons will, .of course, dependuponthe size .ofthGJ'GOVB' strip that isdesired .and1upon'theraidius of curvature of theconcave surfacato"bejpresented thereby. Generally,';the ribbons arecomposed ,of sheet material'iwhich'isxordinarilytifle inch in thicknessbut it may, zof coursefbe varied in thickness depending'on themateria'lsavailable and the overall ;size Of the 'cov'e strip. Generally, thesheet material'for 'the' ribbons runs between about .02 inch and 106inch in thickness. orderto build up. the desired 'backing'forthe; ribbonwhichgpresents the'concave'external surface so as. to obtain a pile orV-sha'ped 'crosssection, the respective strips generally differ in widthby increments of the order of 4 inch to inch. The particular embodimentshown in the drawings is illustrative of a cove strip wherein the ribbonintended to present the external concave surface is about 2 inches inwidth and whereinthe narrowest ribbon is of the order of inch inwidth.When these ribbons are arranged so that the widths differ by incrementsof the order above mentioned, a satisfactory cove strip is provided whenseven ribbons are employed in the pile. ever, for larger cove strips anadditional number of ribbons would ordinarily be employed depending uponthe relative thicknesses thereof, and for a narrower cove strip a lessernumber of ribbons would be employed.

The individual ribbons preferably have substantial stiffness while atthe same time being flexible. The stiffness and flexibility ofasphaltimpregnated felt of the character above described Howare wellsuited for the practice of this invention inasmuch as a cove strip madefrom ribbons of such material according to this invention provides thedesired properties of being readily flexed and conformed to surfacesagainst which it may be placed while affording a coved support that isrugged and strong when installed. Ribbons composed of extremely flexiblematerials such as very thin unimpregnated fabrics are not ordinarily assuitable as fabrics of the order of thickness above mentioned which areimpregnated with a bituminous or similar binder. On the other hand,ribbons that are very hard and rigid such as composed of a fabric highlyimpreg nated with a very hard, brittle binder do not afford the desiredflexibility and capacity to be readily conformed to surfaces againstwhich the strip is placed. Thus, if a binder is employed which normallyis of the hard and brittle type,

the binder should be effectively plasticized using known plasticizersfor the purpose. If the binder employed is not of the thermoplastic typebut is adapted to permanently become of greater strength and stiffnessas the result of such influences as solvent evaporation, oxidation,thermosetting or the like, the cove strip can be shaped to afford thedesired curvature for the coved surface while the binder is still soft,the binder thereafter becoming of increased hardness and toughness dueto influences such as those mentioned thereby causing the cove strip toassume its ultimate stiifness and strength when the cove strip is in itsfinished shape so that the finished shape will be permanently retained.

For most purposes the ribbons in the pile are of such number anddimensions that when the desired radius of curvature for the cove isafforded, the longitudinal margins of the respective strips will fallalong planes intersecting at approximately a right angle. In otherwords, the angle of V of the ribbons as arranged in a pile of V-shapedcross section is approximately 90. However, it is usually preferable inconstructing the improved cove strip to have the ribbons dimensioned sothat when the cove strip is placed along the angle between the planesintersecting at a right angle, the margins of the ribbons, particularlythe wider ribbons, will have a slight amount of clearance therebetween,as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, if the angle between the planes were to beslightly greater than 90, the margins of the ribbons can still bedisposed in contact with the surfaces of the intersecting planes sincethese margins are free to be brought somewhat closer together, thusaccommodating them to the larger angle. Similarly, if the angle betweenthe planes is somewhat smaller than the margins of the respectiveribbons can become slightly more separated from each other, thusaccommodating them to, the smaller angle. Moreover, this attribute ofthe cove strip whereby it can accommodate itself to larger or smallerangles between intersecting planes also is of great utility inpermitting the cove strip to 30-.- commodate itself to irregularities inthe surfaces against Which it is placed. Thus, it is seen to be a verydesirable feature of the cove strip of this invention that it be made byemploying a plurality of ribbons which are free and not secured to eachother adjacent the margins thereof. This construction also affords verygreat flexibility combined with toughness in the cove strip as a wholeso that it can be readily handled and packaged for shipment withoutinjury due to rough treatment and so that it not only can be readilyinstalled and conformed to the surfaces against which it is to beplaced, but also can be thus installed and conformed without specialshaping or risk of injury.

While the cove strip as hereinabove described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein the cove strip is composed of ribbonswhich are shaped to the desired curvature and largely or entirely retainsuch curvature, constitutes preferred practice of this invention, theribbons of the cove strip as made up prior to installation may havesubstantially less curvature than that assumed by the ribbons when thecove strip is installed in place or may even be substantially flat priorto installation. In any such case, however, the number and dimensions ofthe respective ribbons should be such that the marginal edges thereof,when the cove strip is installed, will fall at least approximately inplanes corresponding to the surfaces presented at the angle between anintersecting floor and wall or between intersecting walls. If theribbons prior to installation of the cove strip do not have thecurvature assumed after installation, it is preferable that the ribbonsbe composed of material that can be readily flexed during installation.Thus if bituminized felt of the character mentioned hereinabove is used,it is preferable that the ribbons be made relatively thin, e. g., .02"to .03 in thickness and that a greater number be used as compared withthe embodiment shown in the drawings. Moreover, the ribbon whose surfacecloses the V of the cove strip as installed, while preferably presentingthe concave contour desired for the covering to be applied thereto, mayapproach such concave contour only approximately, any discrepancy inthis regard being counteracted by the inherent stiffness of the coveringthat is applied thereupon and by the adhesive used to bond it in place.

In securing the cove strip in place, any conventional means for doing somay be employed. Thus, the cove strip of this invention may be securedin place by means of a suitable adhesive such as that used in adhesivelybonding flexible smooth surface coverings to floors and walls. Ifdesired, the cove strip can be secured in place by means of brads,nails, or the like, and it is an important advantage of the cove stripof this invention that it is not subject to cracking, splitting,chipping, or the like during handling and installation, whether nails,brads, or the like or other securing means are used. Due to the peculiarconstruction of the cove strip of this invention, it can be readily cutusing shears or egezsr ose 7 aizknifeifor,cthe -purpose, and withoutrequiring any special skills or any special tools for cutting Shapingthe covestrip so as to accommodate it to the surfaces against which itis to be used, including operations such as squaring and mitering.Likewise, due to'the construction of the improved cove'strip of'thisinvention, it is not seriously affected by atmospheric or temperaturechanges or as the result of moisture. The improved cove strip is'verylight in weight and can be readily packaged and shipped. It alsomaintains-its shape during shipment and handling and isextremely toughand resistant to injury.

-Whilethis invention has been described in connection witha typicalembodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this has been done forthe purpose of afiording a better understanding of this invention andofthe practice thereof. However, the typical preferred constructionwhich-has been-described is merely illustrative ofthe-practiceof thisinvention, inasmuch as cove strips embodying this invention may bevaried from" the form and construction shown While utilizing thefeatures of novelty which characterize the-improved cove strip of thisinvention.

I claim:

1. Asan article of manufacture a preformed elongated cove unit,comprising a pile of ribbons of, different widths of flexible materialwhich are orientedlengthwise and which are secured togethergalongthe lonitudinal dimension of the unit with opposed marginal surfaces of saidribbons separableand portions'of said ribbons adjacent-the marginthereof capable of individual flexure,gsaid cove unit being adapted forplacement along the-intersection between planes intersecti-ngwat-approximately a rightangle and wvhenso placed havinga generallyV-shaped cross section.

,2. As an articlegof manufacture a preformed elongated'cove unitcomprising a pile of ribbons of I successively-diminishingwidths offlexible-material having substantial stiffness, which ribbons are'oriented lengthwise withtheir centers substantially overlyingand-secured together solely in the region of the approximate centersthereof leaving free those' portions of the opposed-surfaces of theribbons adjacent the-margins thereof,- sai cove unit being adapted forplacement along theangle between planes intersecting at approximately aright angle with the margins'of said ribbons substantially "in contactwith said planes, and when --so' placed the ribbon atthe wider extremityof the pile providing asubstantially concave surface.

3. As an article of manufa'cture a preformed elongated cove unitaccording to claim 2 wherein said ribbons are ribbons-'onimpregnatedfibrous sheet material.

4. As an article"of -manufacture a preformed elongated cove unitaccording to claim2 wherein said ribbonsaresecured together solely bystitching disposed substantially along the center line of the respectiveribbons.

'5. As an-article of manufactiu-ea preformed elongated cove unitaccording to claim 2 wherein a sheet of covering material presenting adecorative exterior surface is secured to said pile face toface'with-the ribbonat the Wider'extrem'ity of the piIeand-in conformity*with'theconcave curvature thereof.

' RALPI-I' CORSON.

References JCited in the 15.18.011 this .patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,73%);077 Lisher -Dec. 10,1929

' FOREIGN "PATENTS Number Country o Date 5542;965 GreatBritain Aug.19,1940.

